Italy Tips & articles

Aug 3, 2009 5:09:57 AM

When in Rome...etiquette in Italy

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Basilica di San Paolo Fuori Le Mura columned entrance.

• Paolo Cordelli
• Lonely Planet Photographer

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Italy is a feast of seemingly endless courses, but in a land of rigorous aesthetics how do you navigate the tableware with perfect etiquette? Start out on the right foot with these tips.

Do…

• make an effort with the local lingo. Even the most broken Italian phrases will win you fans.
• fare un bella figura, which loosely translates as ‘make a good impression’. An overly relaxed approach to your appearance will invite silent ridicule.
• focus on the country’s positives rather than its negatives. Italians may criticize the country’s shortcomings, but criticism from outsiders can cause offence.
• keep your shirt on….unless you’re at the beach. Be sure to cover up when visiting churches or religious sites (you won’t be admitted wearing singlet tops and shorts).
• ignore the menu and solicit your server’s advice about seasonal treats. Pick two options that sound interesting and ask your server to recommend one over the other. Then snap the menu shut and say, ‘Allora, facciamo cosi, per favore!’ (Well then, let’s do that, please!)

Don’t…

• don’t drink cappuccino or other milky coffee after breakfast – that would be weird
• touch window displays or handle the merchandise too much (especially those neatly folded sweaters), you may be reprimanded by the stiletto-heeled staff
• feel you have to order everything on the menu. No one expects you to order an appetiser, pasta dish, second plate and dessert! What were you thinking?
• overlook social interactions, even if you’re running late. Enquiring after a person’s health, new baby, recent promotion etc, will win friends in a way you couldn’t imagine back home.
• don’t drive in the left-hand lane on the motorway unless you’re passing or going Italian-driver-on-three-espressos fast!

Lonely Planet’s Italy guidebook gives you the inside word on the best places to savour Italy’s culture. Let its full-colour architecture and regional cuisine sections whet your appetite for la dolce vita.

Already on your way? Master the all-important art of ordering coffee with the Lonely Planet Italian Phrasebook.

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